Rolling-mill



(No Model.) w

C. F. BLMES.

RDLLING MILL.

Patented July 7.41885` CHARLES F. ELMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROLLING-MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,427, dated July 7, 1885.

Application tiled August 23, 18S-l. (No model.)

To a/ZZ- whom, it muy concern.-

Beit known that l, CrrARLns F. ELnEs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rolling-Mills, of which the `following is a specication.

Hy invention relates to rolling-mills, and more especially to that class in which the rail, bar, or ingot being operated upon is passed through the rolls in opposite directions; and it has for its object to enable this system to be carried out more economically and expeditiously without undue strain upon the engine or extra work of the attendants; and to these ends it consists in aset of rolls capable of vertical movement, so as to bring their operating-surfaces upon different levels, in means for quickly and easily raising and lowering them, and in the means of connecting such rolls to the engine or driving-shaft. The ordinary system of rolling with three rolls requires the lifting of the end ofthe bar or rail over the middle roll to start it back in the opposite direction from which it first passed between the rolls, and this is very objectionable, especially when long and heavy bars or rails are being operated upon. This objection has led to many inventions to overcome it, among which is what is known as the reversing system of rolls.77 Vhile this system avoids the objection of lifting the bars or rails, it has been found to be very severe upon the engine as well as very expensive. Consequently it has not been generally adopted. A system of reversing rolls has been tried in which the engine always runs inthe same direction while the rolls are reversed; but this system has its disadvantages, such as a more or less complex system of connections between the rolls and engine and the fact that the momentum and inertia ofthe rolls have to be overcome at each change.

In order to permit of the use of the three roll system, tables or platforms capable of bcing raised or lowered have been used, and while these would overcome some of the objections to the use of the three-roll system,

outt-he necessity of raising the end of the har or rail to start it on its return trip through the rolls, or to raise the whole bar or rail by means of vertically moving platforms; and I accomplish this by raising the rolls themselves the required distance without disconnecting them from the engine or shaft from which they are driven or changing the direction of their rotation. This raising and lowering' of the rolls 'may be accomplished in various ways, which are more or less effectual; but I prefer to perform this function by means of a hydraulic steaincylinder, as its action is not only rapid and easily controlled, but is sure and effective.

In order to permit of the vertical movement of the rolls without disconnection kwith thc power driving them, I provide a universal coupling shaft, or connection between the main driving-roll and the drivingshai't, and by this means l[he rolls may be caused to assume the desired positions and be continuous] y operated without serions strain upon the engine or connections.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more particular description of my invention, and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is an end viewof a train of rolls with my improved arrangement. Fig. 2 is a side View showing the manner of connecting them with the driving-shaft, and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same with the cap-pieces removed.

From a suitable base or housing, A, which may be securely and permanently bolted to a base or foundation, rise at each side two uprights, BB, which may be iirmly held together by cap-pieces C bolted thereto. These up rights or standards are provided with grooves a, in which are fitted housings or bearings b b for the rolls D E F. These housings may he of any desired construction, those shown being strong and durable and well adapted for the purpose. The housings rest upon or are secured to a plate or bed-piece, G, extending across the frame and between the standards,

and to this plate is attached the cylinder or piston H of an ordinary hydraulic or steam engine or pump having suitable connections with the accumulator or reservoir. (Not shown.) Suitable valve mechanism is connected with the pipes leading to and from the IOO pump, (indicated in the drawings by the valves 0,) which` may be operated manually or automatically, as desired.

Attached to the mainor driving roll-in this instance the middle one, E-is a universal coupling-shaft, I, the other one of which is connected to the shaft K, from which the power is received.

The rolls are provided with .the usual gearwheels L at one or both ends, meshing together in a well-known manner, so as to cause the upper and middle rolls to feed in one direction and the middle and lower rolls to feed in the opposite direction or these gear-wheels or pinions may be placed in separate housings and each of them coupled direct to its com-l panion-roll.

The base and supports are preferably so l placed that when the rolls and housings are in the pesition shown in Fig. l the line of feed will be practically even with the floor-line, as indicated by the line f f.

rIhe operation will be apparent from the above. llhe bar or rail is rst fed through or between the rolls D E, and then, without reversing any ofthe rolls, the Valves of the pump are operated so as to cause it to raise the rolls bodily, the housings sliding in the slots of the standards, so that the feed-line of the rolls E and F will be practically on a level with the' floor-line, when the rail or bar is started between the said rolls and fed back to the side from whence it started. Thus the metal billets or bars can be fed back and forth as many times as desired without raising them from the floor or changing the direction of the rotation of any of the rolls, they being alternately raised and lowered by the pump or. engine, and thereby the loss of power and strain upon the engine due to starting, stopping, and reversing the rollsare avoided.

It is evident that the lifting mechanism may be attached to the upper part of the housings as well as to the lower part, as shown, and that several sets of rolls and pinions may each bc operated by a separate pump or engine, and all be controlled by the same valve or from the same accumulator while being driven from a single shaft.

Having thus described my invention, without limiting myself to the precise details of construction shown, which may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention, I claiml. In a rolling-mill, the combination, substantially as herein set forth, of a frame or standard, movable housings supported therein, a set of rolls carried by the housings, and means, substantially as described, for raising and lowering the housings, whereby thehousings may be moved up and down and the rolls preserve their relative positions to each other.

2. The combination, substantially as herein set forth, of a frame -or standard having grooves therein, a set of rolls and pinions supported in housings working in said grooves, and power connected to said housings, the arrangement being such that the housings may be raised or lowered to bring the different pairs of rolls in line with the floor while their` relation to each other is unchanged, so that the metal billets or bars may be fed back and forth between the dierent rolls without raising the bars.

3. rIhe combination, substantially as herein set forth, of the standards B, housings b, sliding therein, a set of rolls, D E F, means, substantially as described, for raising and lowering the housings in their supports, while the vrelations of the rolls are unchanged, and a universal coupling-shaft connecting the rolls with the power-shaft.

- In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. F. ELMES.

Witnesses: 1

PAUL BLAToHFoRD, H. B. TizoUP. 

